Family Life
by Mickey3
Summary: An accident off-world gives Jack another chance at having a family.
1. Sharing Memories

**Sharing Memories  
By Mickey**

Status: Completed 1/22/2010

Season: late 7

Archive Permission: Ask first.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.

Word Count: 2,018

Author's Notes: Written for the January 20th picture challenge on the littlestargate list.

* * *

"Da?" a little voice called out.

Jack looked down at the tug of his pant leg and call of the now familiar word, to see his little girl staring up at him, arms outstretched.

"Up?"

Reaching down, Jack picked up his tiny charge, still marveled at the fact that just three short months ago this sweet little blonde, curly haired, sixteen-month-old toddler had been his tough-as-any-guy, brilliant second in command. "Hey, Angel. Got out of you're crib _again_, huh?" he asked as he stared into curious blue eyes. Thankful once again that he lived in a single level home and there were no stairs for his little escape artist to fall down.

It still amazed him that he was now a father again, three times over. The thingamajig on PS0-498 that had turned Carter, _Sam_, into a toddler had affected all of SG-1 to varying degrees. The most surprising thing, after the initial shock of seeing his three best friends as kids, was the fact that their ages were all mixed up. Daniel went from being the youngest to the oldest, Carter was now the baby and Teal'c was stuck in the middle. Getting his motley crew back to the 'gate had been no easy task, but it had given him time to ponder their situation.

Jack had also been affected, but he'd only lost about fifteen years, and unlike the rest of his team, had all of his memories intact. He still didn't understand why his hair had remained gray, yet his knees were in perfect shape -the constant dull ache he'd lived with for years after multiple surgeries was gone- and the touch of arthritis that had been creeping in over the years was also a thing of the past.

After a week of non-stop tests and questions, Jack was given custody of his former teammates and was allowed to take them home. With the help of Siler and a few others from the SGC, one of the two spare rooms had been turned into a room for the boys, while his former home office had been converted into a nursery for Sam.

"Bos," his little angel stated, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Bos?" Jack asked. "What are you talking about?" Suddenly, it him what the toddler might be trying to say. "Box? Are you saying box?"

Sam looked up at her new daddy and gave him a toothy smile. "Bos!" she exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

Setting the squirming toddler down, Jack told her, "All right, squirt, show me the box just keep your voice down. You're brothers are still sleeping." Tailing close behind, he followed his daughter down the hall. Surprisingly, she turned into his bedroom and went straight for the large trunk at the foot of his bed. All three of his kids knew that his room was off limits. He'd have expected Daniel or Teal'c to go in there, but Sam usually listened when he told her 'no'.

"Bos," she said as she patted the trunk then asked, "Wha in?"

Sighing Jack knelt beside the trunk. "This is Daddy's private stuff, sweetie. You know you're not supposed to be in here. Did one of your brother's put you up to this?"

Sam cocked her head to one side and looked at him questioningly. Putting one hand on the trunk and the other on Jack's face, she whispered, "Da sad?"

"Yeah, Baby," he replied, pulling her into his lap as he sat on the floor. "The stuff in this trunk makes Daddy sad when he thinks about it."

"Dad?"

Jack looked up to see Daniel and Teal'c standing in the doorway rubbing the sleep from their eyes. "Hi, little sleepy heads."

"We wish to see what is in the trunk too," Teal'c said as Daniel nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

"Daniel, did you put your sister up to this?"

Staring wide-eyed, Daniel shook his head in denial. "I was sleeping, Daddy. I swear. Ask Teal'c. He woked me up acause he heard voices and that's why we came to your room."

Looking to his middle child, Jack waited for the answer.

"It is true, Daddy. I woke Danny up."

It was odd hearing the mix of Teal'c's former, formal speech mixed with the child's voice and speech patterns he now possessed. Daddy, Danny and Sam, seemed to be the only informal versions of any words that he used. Accepting their story, Jack patted the floor. The boys rushed into the room to sit beside him. He'd shown the kids pictures of their "big brother" many times, but nothing else. Maybe it was time to share a part of Charlie's life with them.

Relenting, Jack set Sam on the floor in between her brothers and opened the trunk. Despite the size of the trunk, there wasn't really much in it. The first thing he pulled out was a handmade, construction paper scrapbook. He'd almost forgotten about it. The pages were tattered from wear -he and Charlie had spent many hours looking at it, and he'd spent many more looking at it alone after Charlie's death. Sara and Charlie had put a great deal of time and love into making it for Jack for his birthday many, many years ago. Charlie had been five at the time. He'd been so proud of his homemade gift. To this day, it was still his favorite present ever.

"This is a scrapbook Charlie and Sara made for me a long time ago. It's full of pictures from the special father/son trip we had taken the summer just before he made it for me," Jack explained as his fingers lightly played over the hand drawn cover. The title, written in blue crayon in the uncertain scrawl of a child just learning to write, was simple, 'Daddy and Charlie'. Turning to the first page, he pointed to the picture glued to the middle of the page as he read the caption below it. He did the same for each page, looking up occasionally to see three captivated faces eagerly waiting for him to turn to the next page.

When he finished the last page, he closed the book and smile at the large block letters on the back cover, 'THE END'. As he did with the front cover, he left his fingers drift across the writing. Sadly, he reflected on just how final those words were.

Hesitantly, Daniel asked, "Can I hold it, please?"

Jack's first reaction was to say no, not a chance. Seeing the way Daniel looked so longingly at the book, he didn't have the heart to deny the request and handed it over. The boy accepted it eagerly, and surprisingly carefully. Smiling, Jack watched Daniel flip through the pages on his own.

"Daddy," Daniel started as he looked up, "can I keep it? I promise to take really, really good care of it." His voice sounded unsure, as if he expected to get in trouble just for making the request. "Please, Daddy?"

Resisting the urge to reach out and snatched the book back, Jack said nothing for several long moments. He didn't want to let Daniel have it, didn't want to let go of the gift his little boy had made just for him. Daniel's look was pleading though, and he clutched the book to his chest as if it was the greatest story he'd ever read and he couldn't bear to part with it. What else could he do? He nodded his consent and Daniel let out a loud whoop.

"I promise I'll take special care of it. I won't let nothin' happen to it, ever!"

Seeing the happiness on his son's face, Jack smiled and reached out to ruffle the boy's unruly hair. "I know you will, son."

Over the next half-hour, Jack pulled various objects and pictures out of the trunk, explaining the significance of each item. Pulling out two gloves, he said, "This was Charlie's first glove." He held up the first glove, then the second. "And this was the glove I brought him when he left T-ball and started playing little league."

"Daddy, may I see them?" Teal'c requested as he held out his hands.

Again, Jack felt a strong urge to deny his son's request. Teal'c waited patiently, saying nothing as Jack contemplated the request. After a moment, he handed them over. Immediately, Teal'c slid the smaller glove onto his hand. Amazingly, it seemed to fit the boy like a . . . well, like a glove. Before he really knew what he was saying, Jack asked, "Would you like to keep them, buddy? Do you want me to teach you how to play baseball?"

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed. "I would like to play with you. I would like you to teach me!"

Jack couldn't help but grin. Teal'c had never shown such exuberance as an adult. Maybe Danny and Sam were rubbing off on him. Pulling a baseball out of the trunk, Jack tossed it gently to his son, who caught it, rewarding his father with a beaming smile. Daniel glanced at the gloves and smiled at his brother, then looked back to his new book. Sam sat quietly were her daddy had left her, grinning.

Sam reached for Daniel's book, and Jack held his breath, waiting for the inevitable tearing of paper as little hands grabbed thin paper. Daniel was too quick for her though and moved it behind his back with one hand, pushing her outstretched hand away with his other hand. "No, no, Sammie," he said gently, "this is not a baby book. You can't touch this."

For a moment a moment, Jack saw a meltdown brewing in those bright blue eyes, but then Sam simply turned back towards her father. "Mo?" she asked as she pointed at the trunk.

"Yes, sweetie, there's one more thing in here I haven't shown you guys." Tears threatened to fall, but he held them back as he pulled out a teddy bear, fur worn from years of hugs and rough play with a rambunctious boy, and held it close. The bear had been Charlie's favorite toy ever since Jack had given it to him when he was six months old. By the time he was nine, the boy had outgrown playing with the stuffed toy, but he'd refused to allow his mother to through it away and still slept with it every night. Right up until the day he'd died. He glanced down to see Sam giving him a pleading look and eying the bear.

"Mi?" she asked, as she reached for Charlie's beloved toy.

Jack hesitated for a moment, not wanting to let go of this part of his little boy's life. Finally, he relented and handed Sam the bear. Charlie, he knew, would want his little sister to have the toy. She flashed him a brilliant smile and clutched the bear to her chest.

With a thoughtful look, Sam asked, "Carees?"

"Yeah, Sammie, this was Charlie's bear. He loved it very, very much. Now it's yours. You have to promise to take extra special care of him though, okay?"

Hugging the bear tightly with one arm, she pushed herself to her feet with her free hand then toddled the foot to her father. Plopping into his lap, she looked up and said, "Yove ooh, Da."

"I love you too, Baby," he whispered as he pulled her close to his chest.

It was hard letting go of pieces of Charlie's childhood, but as he looked into the smiling faces of his children, he knew it was the right thing to do. His kids would cherish their new possessions and, Jack hoped, they would help them feel closer to the brother they would never meet. The little boy they knew only from faded photos and their Daddy's stories.

They would never replace Charlie, but certainly helped to fill the gapping hole the boy's death had left in his heart. He had a new family now. In just a few short weeks, hopefully, the adoptions would be official. For the first time in almost thirteen years, Jack O'Neill felt whole again.

_THE END_


	2. Little Bear Lost

**Little Bear Lost**

Status: Completed 9/25/2010

Word Count: 1,159

Author's Notes: Written for the stargatedrabbles list's June 30th '09 challenge: Something is very, very valuable missing. What happened to it? Where is it or who has it and why?

* * *

Looking down at the soft cry and tug at his pant leg, Jack sighed. He had a lot to do -paperwork sucked, even when done at home- before he had to pick up the boys and was hoping Sam would nap for at least an hour and a half today. He'd given up on trying to keep her from climbing out of her crib and had brought her a toddler bed a few weeks ago. The good thing was he didn't have to worry about her getting hurt falling out. The bad part was, it made it that much easier for her to get out of bed on her own.

"Where Char'ee?"

No. No way. Kneeling down and grabbing the twenty month old by her arms, he demanded, "Where is he, Sam? Did you lose your bear?" Seeing the fear in his baby girl's eyes, Jack immediately released her. _Good, one, Jack,_ he chastised himself. He should have paid closer attention to her when he'd gotten her out of her car seat. She was just a baby. It wasn't her fault the bear was missing.

Jack scooped his little girl into his arms and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Angel. Daddy didn't mean to snap at you." He set her back down. "Crap," Jack muttered. "This can_not_ be happening." It had to be around here somewhere. He was almost positive she'd had it with her when they'd returned from dropping the boys off at school. Then again, he couldn't remember if she'd had it when he put her down for a nap.

"Dada," his little angel questioned him again, "Where my Char'ee?"

That was a good darn question. Mentally kicking himself, he looked at her. "We'll find him, Angel," he promised. They had to. Charlie, the scruffy stuffed bear Sam had named after its previous owner, had become the little girl's favorite toy as soon as Jack had given it to her nearly six months ago. The loss of the bear would be hard because of its association with Charlie, but it would be harder because Sam loved it so much. He couldn't stand the thought of his little angel's heart breaking over the raggedy old bear.

Extending his hand to his daughter, he said, "Come on, kiddo, let's check the car. Maybe you dropped it when we were getting you out." With his free hand, Jack grabbed his keys off the stand by the door on the way out. He unlocked the car and lifted Sam onto the back seat. "You look back here and I'll look up front."

Several minutes later, Jack was sure every square inch of the car, including the trunk -just to be safe- had been searched and the bear was still missing. Sighing in frustration, he took Sam by the hand again and locked up the car then headed inside. "Let's check the toy box and under your bed."

While Jack checked under her bed and in the closet, Sam systematically pulled every toy out of her toy box. Not finding the bear, he turned from the closet and cringed at the mess Sam had made. He hadn't realized just how many toys his little girl had. Making a mental note to go through them one day soon and get rid of the ones she was too old for, he knelt beside her. "No Charlie?" he asked.

Lower lip quivering, Sam sadly shook her head. "No."

"Don't cry, Angel." Jack inwardly cringed at the pleading note in his own voice. He wondered what the marines would think if they found out that big badass Colonel Jack O'Neill was brought to his knees by one sobbing blonde haired, blue eyed little girl. "We'll find Charlie, Sam, I promise." He sent up a silent prayer he wouldn't have to break that promise.

Together, the pair walked through the house trying to back track their steps since returning home that morning. Remembering Sam saying she was hungry, Jack decided to try the kitchen. Not that they had anywhere else to check. They'd already checked her room, the boy's room, the living room, and bathroom. Just to not leave any stone unturned so to speak, they'd even searched his office, even though he knew she hadn't been in there.

With a chuckle, he watched Sam crawl under the table then went to check the garbage can. Maybe she'd accidently dropped him in there when she'd thrown away the package for her fruit snack. "Not there either, huh?" Sam shook her head no. He'd known it wasn't. If it had been, he'd have seen it when they walked into the kitchen. On a whim, he walked over to the fridge. He'd given Sam a sippy cup of water with her snack, but she hadn't finished it. Knowing she liked her water cold, he wondered if she set the bear in there when she put her cup in the fridge.

Fingers crossed, Jack opened the fridge door and resisted the urge to whoop out loud. Sure enough, sitting on the shelf between last night's leftovers and the bottle of apple juice, was Charlie the bear. He reached in and snatched the bear up. "Hey, Angel, look who I found!"

"Char'ee," Sam squealed as Jack handed her the chilly but otherwise unharmed teddy bear. Grinning, he watched as the toddler hugged the bear tightly.

"Dank you, Dada," she exclaimed. Stumbling just a little, Jack laughed as his daughter threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his legs.

"Your welcome, sweetie," Jack replied as he picked her up. "Now, it's past your nap time. How's about you lay down and go sleepy for a little bit while Daddy gets some work done for Grandpa George, okay?"

Sam didn't reply. Thumb already in her mouth, a death grip on the poor bear, she just shook her head and laid it against his shoulder. _Probably couldn't get that bear away from her again if I tried._ Jack thought with a chuckle.

By the time he made it the short distance to her room and stood by her bed, Sam was already asleep. Gently, Jack laid her down and tucked her in again, giving her a kiss on the forehead before standing up.

Smiling, he watched his sweet little angel sleep, her left thumb firmly in her mouth and her right arm wrapped tightly around the favored toy clutching it to her tiny chest, her little butt stuck up in the air. Physically, she didn't resemble Charlie at all. At that moment though, he was struck by a memory of Charlie at around the same age, in just about the same position.

As much as he loved watching her sleep, Jack knew Hammond would be expecting his reports bright and early the next morning. Sam gave a soft, contented sigh around her thumb. Quietly, he walked to her bedroom door. As he shut it, Jack whispered, "Sleep tight, little angel, Daddy loves you."

_TBC_


End file.
